Brighton Avenue

1875 Map of Brighton Ave, then called North Beacon St, with Union Square on the left and Harvard Ave to the left of center.  One can see how undeveloped this area was then.  Two small ponds and a stream are located below North Beacon St on the right.



On this 1885 map, the street now has the current name of Brighton Ave.



This 1909 map of Brighton Ave, the areas east of Harvard Ave (on the left) shows the beginning of development brought on after the trolley line was built



View of Brighton Ave from Union Square (Brighton Ave Baptist Church on the left) in the early 1900s with more residential property compared to today



Brighton Ave from Union Square 1910.  Notice the residential buildings on the left that are on the 1885 map above



Looking towards Union Square 1940



This 1963 Boston Globe article that references the Chrysler Plymouth dealer at 177 Brighton Ave (opposite Quint Ave).  This dealership was replaced by current strip mall in the late 1970s



Jesse Tirrell house.  This house was near the intersection with Harvard Ave



1906 map (bottom center) showing the Jesse Tirrell house pictured above at 173 Brighton Ave with Harvard Ave on the right.



c1950 Moskos Restaurant at 161 Brighton Ave which closed in 1969.  Across the street was a more informal, cafeteria version of Moskos



1941 looking east towards Harvard Ave



1949 at the intersection with Harvard Ave with the original Brighton Cooperative Bank on the corner on the right.  This bank added a branch in Brighton Center and then closed in 1976 after being bought.



1938 Harvard Ave intersection



c1920 at the Harvard Ave intersection with a Policeman directing traffic before traffic lights.  Note the Allston Theatre on the right




Allston Theatre in 1913 at 128 Brighton Avenue near the southeast corner of Harvard Avenue just before the Grand Opening on October 24. The Allston Theatre, a handsome Renaissance Revival style building, was intended originally for stage performances, but was eventually converted into a motion picture house. An important local landmark, emblematic of the upscale character of the South Allston neighborhood in the early years of the 20th century, the theater was demolished in 1965




Brighton and Harvard Ave.  The second floor of the building in the center once housed a Boston Public Library branch



Brighton and Harvard Ave



1925.  Looking east past Harvard Ave.  Note the Allston Theatre at the center and residential houses on the left before commercial development.



T stop at Harvard Ave 1920 looking east



Track construction at Harvard Ave c1940s



From Linden St looking west c1916.  The trolley to the left of center would be at Harvard Ave. Note the open space before commercial development as shown on the 1909 map above



1960s photo with a similar view as the above 1916 photo.  The building on the right with the Golden Dragon restaurant is the same building in the 1916 photo above.



89 Brighton Ave 1949



1940s near Chester St.  The raised tracks were later lowered to street level to alleviate auto traffic



1907 Receipt from Victoria Stables on Brighton Ave east of Chester St.  It's the yellow building on the bottom right on the 1909 map above



Packard's Stables which were on Brighton Ave diagonally opposite the Victoria Stables.  Packards Corner at the intersection of Brighton Ave and Commonwealth Ave was named after the owner of these stables



St Luke's Church c1910 at the corner of Brighton Ave and St Luke's Rd.  The church was built in 1895 and founded by Bishop Philip Brooks who is the author of the Christmas carol O Little Town of Bethlehem



1916 This addition to St Luke's was built to the right of the above structures and closer to Brighton Ave.



St Luke's Interior 2008 (courtesy Allston/Brighton Tab)




Photo looking west from near Malvern St and Commonwealth Ave c1940